From trawling to trawlgate: Controversial fishing research vessel ends 45-year run

By Beth Daley, Globe Staff

It reads like a minor news account at best: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries research vessel Albatross IV was decommissioned last week in Woods Hole, ending her 45-year distinguished career.

But if you care a whit about New England’s fabled cod, haddock, flounder and sea scallop stocks – read on. The Albatross has played a starring role in one of the most controversial fish stories of our time.

The Albatross IV (NOAA photo)

Much of the scientific data documenting the region’s fish collapse – and subsequent fishing restrictions – off New England comes from the 187-foot long Albatross and a string of three other boats by the same name before it. Every spring, summer and fall, its crew would tow a net behind the boat and count the fish it caught, helping to create the world’s longest continuous study of fish populations.

Along with fishermen reports and other data, scientists would then calculate how many fish could still be caught and keep the population healthy. Starting in the 1980s, increasingly dire warnings based much on these fish surveys showed that there were fewer and fewer fish off New England’s coast.

Regulation followed. The number of days fishermen could fish was reduced from everyday to 150 to 80 to 45.

It’s even fewer now.

Fishermen always complained that scientists were relying far too much on the ship surveys. While some fishermen agreed fish were disappearing, they didn’t think it was as dire as the scientists said.

And when fish began bouncing back – as they have recently - the Albatross got even more controversial. As NOAA officials recommended another round of fishing cuts in 2000, a Cape Cod fisherman watching the docked Albatross crew was horrified: The crew wasn’t checking to make sure cables that secured the Albatross’ all important fish net matched up.

That meant that the vessel could be dragging its nets through the water lopsided, catching fewer fish and leading scientists to conclude there were fewer fish in the sea. And every fisherman knew when scientists said there were less fish in the sea it meant one thing: More restrictions on their livelihood.

NOAA officials acknowledged the lines weren’t being matched – but said the problem went on a little over two years at most and that the problem didn’t affect the long term fish population trend. Still, Senators Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Olympia Snowe of Maine called for a delay in the new regulations. Marred by the controversy - which fishermen dubbed "trawlgate" - environmental groups and NOAA joined them in asking a judge for a delay in fishing regulations in 2002. It was granted. (A new round of restrictions ultimately took hold).

Now the Albatross IV will be replaced with a newer sleeker vessel called the Henry B. Bigelow. Fishermen and scientists are trying to collaborate more. But there remains a deep mistrust between the two groups on a public resource that pays for so many individual paychecks.